AEFW help me beat it!

[Murr7]

The sps keepers worst enemy has invaded my tank! I can point to the frags that these came in on, one was a friend's healthy frag that I dipped in coral rx, inspected and put on the frag rack. The other was a more pale stn'ed frag I received from the same tank that I was going to try to save, I got this one about 2 weeks later than the first frag and did the same dipping process. This frag didn't pass the inspection as one small flatworm fell off, as I inspected closer I saw a few clutches of eggs so that frag went right in the trash. I pulled the first frag from the frag rack and dipped it to see if there were any aefw on it, I found none but I did notice some bite marks so in the trash it went. This was 6 months ago and I hadnt had any signs of aefw so I thought I dodged a bullet. My sps have recently started stn'ing and paling. I started to go through the check list alk, ph, nitrate, phos, to much light, and everything was fine. What was really odd was that stuff that is usually considered hardier acros was slowly dieing and other not so hardy across were growing. I was blowing off some of the film algae where the tissue had receded on my pink lemonade colony and a translucent white flatworm about 3/8” comes off. This is when I knew I was in trouble. I dipped the colony and used a turkey baster and about 30 flatworms in varying sizes came off.

I fragged off many of the unaffected branches and for ease of dipping. I also super glued all the egg clutches I could find. I blew off all of my other frags and colonies with the turkey baster to see if any other fw came off. Only one other colony shows signs of aefw but I couldn't find any when I dipped it.

I know some people just live with aefw and are successful at managing them. I have a sixline wrasse but my tank is only 36 gallons so another wrasse or fish that can help maintain them isnt an option for me. I'm planning on dipping the healthy frags I have twice over the next week as a preventative measure. I'm considering getting kz flatworm stop I've seen the mixed reviews on it but I'm willing to give it a shot. Any advice or tips you guys can offer is greatly appreciated.

 

[Scorpius]

Only way to 100% beat AEFW is to remove every last piece of Acropora from the main display and go fallow for 5+ weeks. Put all Acropora and dip at least twice a week with Bayer for 5+ weeks in a hospital tank. Sucks, but it's the only way.

You'll have losses around 20% give or take. Be prepared.

Been there done that.

 

[tdileo]

Only way to 100% beat AEFW is to remove every last piece of Acropora from the main display and go fallow for 5+ weeks. Put all Acropora and dip at least twice a week with Bayer for 5+ weeks in a hospital tank. Sucks, but it's the only way.

You'll have losses around 20% give or take. Be prepared.

Been there done that.

I hear 2 or 3 months is a more proper fallow for these. Or maybe I’m thinking of monti nudibranchs. Either way, good recommendation.

 

[blkhawk10]

I went 9 weeks to be safe but also heard around 8 weeks of a fallow period for most people.

 

[Ubergroover]

just went through it...feel your pain..all my acro's bit the dust...

 

[littleruttiger]

I was lucky (as far as it goes) when I got it, since everything I had was still frags on plugs. I dipped with melafix two or three times a week, after a few weeks they were gone - I kept dipping afterwards for a few more weeks just in case.
I wouldn't really dip each frag that long, maybe 30 seconds to a minute, agitating it, within that time the worms on the frags would become visible and I could shake them off.
I also inspected each frag carefully every time for eggs, scraping any off I happened to find.
I got flatworm stop as well, but honestly don't know if it does anything.

 

[tdileo]

I was lucky (as far as it goes) when I got it, since everything I had was still frags on plugs. I dipped with melafix two or three times a week, after a few weeks they were gone - I kept dipping afterwards for a few more weeks just in case.
I wouldn't really dip each frag that long, maybe 30 seconds to a minute, agitating it, within that time the worms on the frags would become visible and I could shake them off.
I also inspected each frag carefully every time for eggs, scraping any off I happened to find.
I got flatworm stop as well, but honestly don't know if it does anything.

Mind sharing what ratio you used for that dip? I have a lot left over from my freshwater days and it would be nice to use it up on something helpful.

 

[littleruttiger]

Mind sharing what ratio you used for that dip? I have a lot left over from my freshwater days and it would be nice to use it up on something helpful.

I got the API marine melafix, it said 20 ml per 1/2 gallon, so I followed that. I'm not sure if there's a freshwater version that's a different strength or not. I used Bayer once, but it turns everything milky white, you can't see anything; the melafix seemed to work just as well, and doesn't make the water opaque.

Looking at the bottle, it says the active ingredient is Melaleuca 1.25%, if your bottle has the concentration on it you can adjust as needed.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

If you can pull the colonies from the rocks easily then you can just dip every acro in your display once a week for 6-8 weeks depending on your infestation and ability to clean a coral completely. There is no reason for a hospital or qt tank. Setting up a tank to treat for aefw is the easiest way to loose corals. Dipping from the display is the easiest way to keep the corals healthy and not stressed. Doing this is key to ridding them from the tank. They won't grow in large numbers if your across are healthy. So dipping a few colonies that we're affected badly and getting the numbers down with basting and dips on affected pieces is a good idea before you start the weekly dipping of every acropora. Setting up rinse stations and cleaning the corals correctly is key as well.

 

[Som1else]

Pulling every acro colony from your display tank for 5-6 weeks by setting up a QT tank and dipping them in Bayer every 5 days is the only way. You can also super glue over all the eggs you find along the receding parts. I found the supergluing to be the most satisfying thing ever, both for AEFW and for Monti Nudi's.

 

[Murr7]

So my plan tomorrow is to cut the encrusted colonies off as close to the base as possible and dip everything in Bayer. Most of the affected areas are the bases so the fragged colonies should be healthier and much easier to dip. Unfortunately adulting is getting in the way of reefkeeping, my job is requiring me to leave in a week and be gone for two weeks. While I'm gone my wife will try to blow off the colonies and dose the flatworm stop every other day. Thanks for the responses.

 

[Murr7]

A little update, I have been dosing kz flatworm stop for the last month and while it seems to have lessen the amount of damage caused by the flatworms it hasnt eradicated them or the stress they put on my corals. Over the last week I have been assembling a stand alone qt/frag tank. I purchased a turn key IM fusion 20 from a local reefer and started to get it ready for frags.

With the tank filled and a new light on it I started cutting and dipping my new sps frags. There was quite a bit more damage on the shaded sides of the frags and a few frags don't look good after there dip. Other than a few spots where the frags encrusted the main system is acropora free. I'm planning on the sps being out of the DT for 8 weeks so fingers crossed they live that long.

 

[Rakie]

Just as a heads up, a local coral farmer in my club showed us video on AEFW from his workshop. They can and will survive bayer, but Melafix knocks em out cold.

Additionally, a 6-line wrasse may enjoy nibbling on them from time to time. It wont solve the problem, but it may help.

 

[Murr7]

Well an update is in store, the good news I am seeing fewer and fewer aefw and dosing kz flatworm stop has brought some color back to the frags in the frag tanks. The bad news is that what little bit of the encrusted base was left on the rocks was healing and growing hooray! Unfortunately the flatworms were beginning to show up more frequently when turkey basting them off, so I dismantled my scape with the bases on it and now there isnt a trace of sps in the tank. I also am finding the occasional one still in the frag tank, I've given up on those frags that seem to be the worst offenders and thrown them out. I truly only have a few frags that are must keeps, WD, SC OP, and WWC Sungod, these frags have so far been spared from noticable damage(bite marks and receding flesh). So there may/will be more frags hitting the trash if they seem to be declining and infested. Here's to another month of fallow in the DT and another battle in the frag tank... Bayer dipping starts at sunrise.

 

[BoomCorals]

Good luck, keep up the solid efforts!

 

[jda]

Are you still seeing eggs with the Flatworm Stop? I am helping a friend who has a terrible infestation. We are doing a double dose of Flatworm Stop. It has only been about 2 months, but where we were seeing hundreds of groups of eggs, we have not seen any in a while.

There are still flatworms, but if they are reproducing, we cannot see them like we did before. I am wondering if the stuff with prolonged, and stronger, use will keep them from laying eggs and eventually they will all die of old age with no children left behind?

I have no idea if this is right, just wondering...

 

[29bonsaireef]

If you're going to throw away a coral dip it in a ro/salt solution first. I mix about 20% salt 80% ro/di leave the coral in for about 1-1.5 minutes shake it vigorously. This will knock off any AEFW left on the piece. The coral will turn very pale, might even bleach completely. I have used this as a last resort numerous times with about a 70% survival rate.

 

[Murr7]

Good luck, keep up the solid efforts!

Thanks these things are rough but I'm bound to win or start over ha.

Are you still seeing eggs with the Flatworm Stop? I am helping a friend who has a terrible infestation. We are doing a double dose of Flatworm Stop. It has only been about 2 months, but where we were seeing hundreds of groups of eggs, we have not seen any in a while.

There are still flatworms, but if they are reproducing, we cannot see them like we did before. I am wondering if the stuff with prolonged, and stronger, use will keep them from laying eggs and eventually they will all die of old age with no children left behind?

I have no idea if this is right, just wondering...

I am seeing a significant reduction in eggs on the dead and dying tissue of the frags after dosing the kz. I found that the eggs are still being laid but not on the dead skeleton but on the frag plug, may be due to the extra slime? My frags are healing but I'm afraid if I stop dosing kz flatworm in 4 weeks it only takes one tiny hidden egg or flatworm to start the whole thing over. I believe that kz flatworm has had a positive impact in controlling the population and keeping it from taking it over but I don't see it as a long eradication method. I think that using kz with natural predators could be a viable eradication method but it would need so many factors to fall in line to 100% eradicate them and could be very expensive depending on the size of your tank. My small set up doesn't have the room for multiple wrasse so dipping is the only way to go for me.

If you're going to throw away a coral dip it in a ro/salt solution first. I mix about 20% salt 80% ro/di leave the coral in for about 1-1.5 minutes shake it vigorously. This will knock off any AEFW left on the piece. The coral will turn very pale, might even bleach completely. I have used this as a last resort numerous times with about a 70% survival rate.

I will have to try that, Im open to anything. I did have a frag that had one foot in the grave and full of eggs so I put it in a cup of cold tap water and watch 4 aefw fall off and wriggle around for a few min before dieing I couldn't believe it. They are tough sob's.

 

[29bonsaireef]

I can't guarantee anything, but if you're tossing them anyhow its worth a shot. I have 5 or 6 acros that went through this process and are now happy, growing and AEFW free. You have to give them some time though. I thought most of them were for sure dead but I could see tiny hints of color in the skeleton, they weren't completely white. Within a month the tissue had grown back and they were colored back up after 2-3 months.

 

[Murr7]

Post dipping pic, the color is starting to return to some of the frags and most polyps we're out after the dip.